Ducted
Ducted heating and cooling for the whole home
Ducted air conditioning puts one indoor unit in the roof space, ductwork through the ceiling, and a single thermostat for every room — or several zones, so you’re only conditioning the rooms you’re using.
What ducted air conditioning involves
The indoor unit sits out of sight in the roof space, and conditioned air is delivered through ducting to vents in each room. Zoning lets you run some rooms and not others, rather than heating or cooling the whole house at once.
It suits a full or near-full home upgrade — particularly where an old ducted gas heater or an ageing ducted system is due for replacement. Part of our heating and cooling range.
How it works
One indoor unit, ducts to each room, and zones so you only condition the rooms you use.
- 1Indoor unit, out of sight in the roof space
- 2Supply ducts, carrying conditioned air through the roof space
- 3A ceiling vent in each room
- 4Return-air grille, drawing air back to the indoor unit
- 5Zone controller, to choose which rooms are heated or cooled
- 6Outdoor unit, connected to the indoor unit by refrigerant pipes
Why there’s no headline figure here
Replacing an eligible old ducted system with an approved high-efficiency one can attract a Victorian Energy Upgrades discount — but it isn’t a fixed amount or a set percentage. It depends on the approved product, the activity and the current certificate factor.
We confirm whether your job qualifies, and what the discount is worth, before you agree to anything.
Not a government program, and not run by us. We do not work for the Victorian Government, and the activity and any products are supplied by private providers, not by or on behalf of the Government. Participation in the Victorian Energy Upgrades scheme is voluntary.
NRGPAL is not a VEU accredited provider — it is a scheme participant, carrying out approved upgrades on behalf of accredited providers. The accredited provider for your job is named in your paperwork.
The program’s code of conduct, dispute resolution process and consumer factsheet are all set out on our VEU Consumer Information page, along with what to do if something goes wrong.
Can I zone individual rooms?
Yes — zoning is standard on a ducted system we design, so you can run only the rooms in use rather than the whole house.
Does ducted replace my old ducted gas heater?
Often, yes. A reverse-cycle ducted system can replace a ducted gas heater and add cooling at the same time, though the switchboard and ducting layout need checking first.
Is ducted more expensive than multi-head or a standard split?
Generally yes, because it covers more of the home and involves ductwork. Whether it’s the right choice depends on how much of the house you want conditioned — we’ll size it to what you actually need.
Can ducted air conditioning run on solar power?
Yes. A reverse-cycle ducted system runs on electricity, so while your panels are generating it can run on your own solar instead of power bought from the grid. Running it during the day, when the sun is up, makes the most of that. A battery can carry some of your solar into the evening as well. If you are planning solar, a battery and ducted air conditioning, we size them together so each suits the others.
Do I need three-phase power for ducted air conditioning?
Not always. Many homes run a ducted system on single-phase power, but larger systems can need three-phase power or a switchboard upgrade. It depends on the size of the system your home needs and on the supply you already have. We check your supply, your switchboard and your roof space at the site assessment, before anything is quoted, so the system we recommend suits the power your home actually has.
Talk to a person
Is ducted the right fit for your home?
Roof space, ducting runs and your switchboard all affect whether ducted suits your property. A short conversation settles it faster than guessing.